"A lovely book for nature lovers and for readers interested in wilderness exploration and tracking, filled with both reflection and timeless information."—Library Journal STARRED Review

No matter your age or abilities, Linda Jo Hunter's years of experience as a wilderness guide & teacher will help you enjoy the outdoors without fear, expand tracking and trailing skills, and rekindle the Wild in you!

In this book, you'll learn how to:

~ Advance your tracking journey

~ Keep yourself safe and comfortable

~ Avoid ending up in a survival situation

~ Practice self-care away from home

~ Respond effectively to being "lost"

~ Work in a group while thinking for yourself

~ Deal with strangers on the trail

~ Respect and survive your wildlife encounters

~ And most of all, how to have priceless adventures!

Author Linda Jo Hunter has often been entrusted with safekeeping groups looking for wilderness adventure. She's served as an Alaska grizzly bear viewing guide, and as a trained search and rescue volunteer, private yacht caption, and public tour boat operator. She is the author of her Alaska memoir, Lonesome for Bears: A Woman's Journey in the Tracks of the Wilderness (with photographer Amy Shapira), and serves as a popular guest speaker and teacher of animal tracking and trailing skills. She co-founded the International Society of Professional Trackers and produced its newsletter, all making her a terrific resource for learning how to be an outdoorsy person at any age or ability.

Thirty years of animal tracking and trailing experience have given her ample stories and advice to share for anyone who wants to enjoy the natural world without worry or distress. Storytelling is her favorite way to teach so she doesn't hold back, even when she's the punchline. She is also an accomplished artist. Her illustrations fill this book of spilled secrets with more samples of her wisdom, wit, and earned skills.

You may wind up reading Lonesome for Wilderness well into the night, then propel yourself out the door the next day with new confidence, whether you're interested in solo hiking, safe wildlife encounters, trailing animals in the snow or in the desert, new camping activities, a fun way to enjoy more ebike adventures, or getting over your fear of bears and cougars.

With Linda's guidance and at your own pace, you can develop or improve your outdoor animal tracking and trailing skills, whether in your own back yard-or out in the forests, mountains, or deserts, where Nature presents all her endless mysteries for you to solve.

REVIEWS:

Library Journal Starred Review:

Professional wilderness tracker Hunter (Lonesome for Bears) has trekked through wild areas on her own, guided groups on bear sighting expeditions, helped search for missing people in dangerous areas, and more. Her book teaches readers that there is nothing as valuable as being still and taking in their surroundings. In nature, taking the time to be observant can be the difference between seeing something spectacular or missing a special sight. For readers curious about how tracking works and what they can gain from training, Hunter’s book offers wonderful, vividly described stories that indicate the skill sets required to successfully decipher the mysteries of what has gone on before they arrive at a stream or cliffside. This book offers frank facts about what one may encounter in the wilderness, and it gives plenty of resources for additional learning about tracking and enjoying the wilderness in ways that most readers have probably never pondered.
VERDICT A lovely book for nature lovers and for readers interested in wilderness exploration and tracking, filled with both reflection and timeless information. – Reviewed by Elizabeth Majka , Jun 01, 2024

“This book is a unique combination of inspiration for nature connection, practical guide to outdoor safety and comfort, tracking and trailing guidebook, love letter to bears and cougars, and storybook of a wild life lived well.  [The author] continues to break stereotypes about who belongs outdoors, and beautifully shows that we all can reach for a bit of wildness outside ourselves. If you aren't sure about the idea of spending a day in nature by yourself, Linda is the person to talk you through everything from how to go to the bathroom, how to make clear decisions, how tracks can guide you to animals, what to do if you meet a bear, and how to be safe as a solo woman hiker or biker.  Her stories reflect a lifetime of exciting, practical, humorous, and humble lessons about living with wildness.”
 –KIMBER NELSON, CyberTracker certified, Cascadia Wild Wolverine Tracking Project

“Someone brand new to the woods will find this an excellent primer, while more experienced folks will still very much enjoy identifying with [the author’s] journey and finding practical tips. The writing is lovely. The book is well-organized and has a logical flow, with an excellent mix of what it means to connect deeply with nature as a spiritual being combined with practical tips like what to put in your backpack.”
—DAVID BARBUR, author of the Tye Caine Wilderness Mysteries

“I really enjoyed reading this book. It inspired me. The author’s ability to capture the magic of what the natural world shares with us is breathtaking. I also think she has presented a powerful set of tools and achievable guidelines for all peoples to follow. Hunter has also masterfully shared some of life’s sacred teachings that nature gifts us: gratitude, humility, passion, love, presence, honesty, integrity, and a few more that are not close to my tongue right now.”
— TERRY KEM, CyberTracker Track and Sign Specialist; founder of Deerdance

“As a nature lover since childhood days, the message of Lonesome for Wilderness deeply resonated with me. A call to action when the hectic world threatens to overwhelm you … to find your way into the wilds. And the author supplies you with the tools and ways to build your confidence to do so. Well written, and easy to digest as the author shares her knowledge and experience through the art of storytelling. Highly recommended.”
—INDY QUILLEN, author of the Fox Walker Novels

“A wonderful how-to book to help nature lovers engage with the lives of birds and insects in backyards or parks, and bears and lions deep in the wild. Full of great tips and stories on the rewards of becoming a nature sleuth, quietly observant, tracking and interpreting scent marks, feeding signs, nest sites, and following trails that can lead to unforgettable encounters with wildlife.”
—JUDY MALONE, founder of Protect Our Bears Ontario

“How does one learn to be a tracker? If you are a woman, how can you stay safe in the wilderness while also enjoying all it has to offer? Don't believe the naysayers. Yes, you can have safe adventures and experience the amazing world of animal tracking. This book provides excellent advice from one of the top trackers in the world. Using Linda's techniques, you will soon be experiencing the joy of tracking animals that you may have previously feared. Knowledge is power. Once you understand these animals, you will learn to respect them and to be around them safely. Linda learned about bears and understands them enough to be safely in their presence. She knows what to watch for and how an animal might behave in an encounter with a human. You can learn this skill too, and have your own amazing adventures in the outdoors!...I loved the book. It was fantastic!”
—KIM A. CABRERA, Beartracker Nature Films; CyberTracker Track and Sign Specialist

“…Just read the chapter on trailing.  I appreciate how the author has it spread around her experience, and balanced as an art.  Not just following animals, not just following people. [She tells her] experience of following the stories and I like that. She includes pointers for learning without being a ‘how to’ book.  I especially appreciate the last sentence of the chapter; deer do make our lives more interesting. I can't point to a better teacher for learning to track.”
—BRIAN MCCONNELL, trailing specialist, CyberTracker North America